2011-2012 Season Wrap-Ups, part four: Revenge
On the bright side, the new windows arrived today and are shiny and beautiful. They don't get installed until Friday -- and that will doubtless be a nightmare for many people, and in particular a nightmare for two small furry creatures who are going to be spending the installation time locked in a bathroom (mostly because one small furry creature does not understand that cars=dangerous, and I'm more than a bit worried that he will seize the opportunity of an opening temporarily unshielded by glass to go explore a street with cars) -- but, once done, they are going to be lovely.
On the rainy side, the rainbands from Tropical Storm Debby have arrived, making it kinda difficult for me to get the trike back to the bike store today, although I may end up trying the trip later on this afternoon if the rain stays light. Maybe. We'll see. (The sooner I get the return/recall/refund process started, the sooner I can get the new trike.)
So, while I'm watching the weather,
If you had told me last summer that my hands down favorite show of the year would be an implausible soap opera featuring wealthy people in the Hamptons merrily trying to bump each other off, PLUS an adorable if equally implausibly old dog, I would have laughed in your face. Well, possibly not about the dog. I love dogs. And this was a particularly cute big doggie even if ABC decided to milk every single bit of pathos that could be wrung, and more, out of the damn doggie storyline, to the point where at times the show could have been named Revenge. And the Adorable Dog.
If you missed it, the show is about a lovely blond and implausibly wealthy woman who is seeking revenge - definitely and completely not justice, but revenge - on the people who framed her father for a terrible act of murder and plagiarism. Since all of these people just happen to be almost as implausibly wealthy, the first few episodes consisted of massively satisfying takedowns of various wealthy people in the Hamptons, in between various bits of people in the Hamptons being deliciously insulting to each other. It was great fun. After about four episodes of that the show went a bit more soapish, and is now heading directly into International Conspiracy, Minus the Dog, (sniffle. poor doggie) but with Fake Pregnancies. (ABC, I preferred the doggie.) And as you might be gathering from my constant use of the word, it ventured into "implausible" territory more than once, often speeding right into "no way" territory. But it's still fun.
The hands down best part about the show is the fast pacing: with the exception of one minor sideplot which was apparently just there to allow James Purefoy to strut around mostly in the nude (as he does) only kinda covered this time because it's broadcast television, this show moves, and I do mean, moves. The show spent the first half of its season mostly in flashbacks leading up to a murder where no one was certain exactly who was shot and who had done the shooting; once we got to the murder, it was wrapped up neatly and quickly so the show could rush rush rush to other things. No slow dragging out of plotlines here.
The second best part of the show is the acting. I am admittedly mostly bored with the two teenagers tossed into the show to add teenage interest, but the guy teenager is sorta growing on me - sorta. I expect I'd think better of them if they weren't up against Madeleine Stowe as Victoria, who has mastered the television putdown; Henry Czerny, who has mastered the self-righteous villainy; and Gabriel Mann, who plays the snarky bisexual millionaire Nolan Ross, master of pretty much everything. I could watch the show for Mann and Stowe alone.
But I'm really watching because, let's face it, there's something deeply satisfying and entertaining about watching excessively wealthy people (plus the guys at the bar) backstabbing each other, as long as it's done well. And Revenge is done well - slick, tight dialogue, plenty of twists and turns, and even a couple of nice explosions. (I do have to admit that one of the revenge bits, where Emanda burns down the house of a writer --- along with all of his manuscripts and notes and the typewriter he insists on typing on - made me feel kinda queasy, because in that case, I felt for the rich bad guy. Awful of me.)
For all that, the finale, complete with Exploding Plane! Daring Escapes From Handcuffs! Duels! (well, one duel). Breakups! Lost loves! Lost mothers! Lies! Deceptions! Federal Agents! Nasty Bits With Engagement Presents! (oooh, cold) left me, how do I put this, slightly dissatisfied. I'm not sure what was missing, exactly - I'm not sure anything could be missing in that episode (the big fight scene took up plenty of space) --- but something.
But that episode did accomplish what series finales are meant to accomplish - I'll be back next season. Even if the dog won't be. (SNIFFLE.) Maybe they should get another dog. Or maybe not. It's a kinda dangerous sort of show.
On the rainy side, the rainbands from Tropical Storm Debby have arrived, making it kinda difficult for me to get the trike back to the bike store today, although I may end up trying the trip later on this afternoon if the rain stays light. Maybe. We'll see. (The sooner I get the return/recall/refund process started, the sooner I can get the new trike.)
So, while I'm watching the weather,
If you had told me last summer that my hands down favorite show of the year would be an implausible soap opera featuring wealthy people in the Hamptons merrily trying to bump each other off, PLUS an adorable if equally implausibly old dog, I would have laughed in your face. Well, possibly not about the dog. I love dogs. And this was a particularly cute big doggie even if ABC decided to milk every single bit of pathos that could be wrung, and more, out of the damn doggie storyline, to the point where at times the show could have been named Revenge. And the Adorable Dog.
If you missed it, the show is about a lovely blond and implausibly wealthy woman who is seeking revenge - definitely and completely not justice, but revenge - on the people who framed her father for a terrible act of murder and plagiarism. Since all of these people just happen to be almost as implausibly wealthy, the first few episodes consisted of massively satisfying takedowns of various wealthy people in the Hamptons, in between various bits of people in the Hamptons being deliciously insulting to each other. It was great fun. After about four episodes of that the show went a bit more soapish, and is now heading directly into International Conspiracy, Minus the Dog, (sniffle. poor doggie) but with Fake Pregnancies. (ABC, I preferred the doggie.) And as you might be gathering from my constant use of the word, it ventured into "implausible" territory more than once, often speeding right into "no way" territory. But it's still fun.
The hands down best part about the show is the fast pacing: with the exception of one minor sideplot which was apparently just there to allow James Purefoy to strut around mostly in the nude (as he does) only kinda covered this time because it's broadcast television, this show moves, and I do mean, moves. The show spent the first half of its season mostly in flashbacks leading up to a murder where no one was certain exactly who was shot and who had done the shooting; once we got to the murder, it was wrapped up neatly and quickly so the show could rush rush rush to other things. No slow dragging out of plotlines here.
The second best part of the show is the acting. I am admittedly mostly bored with the two teenagers tossed into the show to add teenage interest, but the guy teenager is sorta growing on me - sorta. I expect I'd think better of them if they weren't up against Madeleine Stowe as Victoria, who has mastered the television putdown; Henry Czerny, who has mastered the self-righteous villainy; and Gabriel Mann, who plays the snarky bisexual millionaire Nolan Ross, master of pretty much everything. I could watch the show for Mann and Stowe alone.
But I'm really watching because, let's face it, there's something deeply satisfying and entertaining about watching excessively wealthy people (plus the guys at the bar) backstabbing each other, as long as it's done well. And Revenge is done well - slick, tight dialogue, plenty of twists and turns, and even a couple of nice explosions. (I do have to admit that one of the revenge bits, where Emanda burns down the house of a writer --- along with all of his manuscripts and notes and the typewriter he insists on typing on - made me feel kinda queasy, because in that case, I felt for the rich bad guy. Awful of me.)
For all that, the finale, complete with Exploding Plane! Daring Escapes From Handcuffs! Duels! (well, one duel). Breakups! Lost loves! Lost mothers! Lies! Deceptions! Federal Agents! Nasty Bits With Engagement Presents! (oooh, cold) left me, how do I put this, slightly dissatisfied. I'm not sure what was missing, exactly - I'm not sure anything could be missing in that episode (the big fight scene took up plenty of space) --- but something.
But that episode did accomplish what series finales are meant to accomplish - I'll be back next season. Even if the dog won't be. (SNIFFLE.) Maybe they should get another dog. Or maybe not. It's a kinda dangerous sort of show.